The Krabby with the Golden Claws
by Alba Troi
Summary: A Team Rocket story about a Krabby search


"Looks like Team Rocket's blasting off again!"

* * * *  
Jessie sat, pouting, on the ground,  
"We lost. Again."  
"Well don't blame me Jessie. It was that stupid Meowth's fault."  
"Eh? Wha' did I do wrong?"  
"You let the twerp trio get us again. I'm sick of it! Why can't we just quit?"  
"Jessie! Don't you, don't you remember?"  
"Remember what?"  
"If we quit he sends his assassins after us."  
"James is w'ite Jessie. Ya quit, ya die." Jessie ignored him, pouting. Five minutes or so later she pulled out five cans of hairspray, did her hair, and went off to have a wash. James crouched on the ground, his green eyes saddened.  
"It's not fair! We can't do anything right! We don't need to quit, the Boss'll fire us!"  
"Do you think I need reminding?!"   
"Ow, Jessie, that's not fair!"   
"Damn right it's not fair! We do everything, everything and still those twerps beat us up." James sighed and lay back, non the worse really, for being banged on the head with a mallet. His eyes watch a solitary Pidgeotto fly across the sky. Something white dropped. On to Jessie's hair.   
"Uh, Jessie. Something in your hair."  
"What!" James bit his lip and muttered something about a Pidgeotto. Jessie's eyes widened and she screamed,  
"Get it off, get it off!" Suddenly Meowth appeared,  
"Uh, Jessie, it's just a bit a paper."  
"What?" Slowly, very slowly, Jessie raised her hand to her head, and then relaxed,  
"Just a scrap of newspaper." Her eyes turned to James, glowing deviously,  
"You did that on purpose you moron!" she shouted, and proceeded to bang James on the head. Meowth whistled,  
"That fryin' pans a killer." Jessie turned, smiling sweetly, too sweetly.  
"Well how bout you have some." Meowth was not very happy. Whilst all this was happening, the headachy James looked at the scrap of paper. Krabby, the Krabby with the golden claws. He jumped up, pain forgetten,  
"Hey Jessie! Look at this!" he said, squelling  
"What!"  
"It says here, the krabby with the golden claws. Imagine, if we caught that pokémon the Boss'd be _so_ happy! We wouldn't have to..." James was cut short as Jessie snatched the slip of paper. She raised her eyebrows and started walking north.  
"Hey, Jessie, wait up!"

"Vincent Town. Magei Island."  
"We landed on another island!" Jessie nodded, tight lipped. She pointed to the words in the article.  
"Sighted on, on Magei Island!"  
"Fin'ly. Luck!" Jessie smiled,  
"Let's book a motel while we're on top."  
"Good! m hungry"  
"Meowth's hungry? So am I!" James folded his arms,  
"I want a donut."  
"Hurry up and you'll get one!"

Team Rocket had been searching the island for several days. They'd left Vincent Town, it turned out the most recent sightings were in Gore City. It was now their fourth day on the island, and they were sitting in the middle of a clearing. James was moaning about being hungry. Same for Meowth. Suddenly, James jumped up,  
"The stream! I saw a streak of gold!" Jessie rushed over and pulled out the creature,  
"It's only a stupid Goldeen!" she exclaimed.  
"Horrible creature," muttered James, who then proceeded to kick the Goldeen. Suddenly it was gone. In its place was a very angry Seaking. James jumped up and grabbed onto Jessie. She muttered something, and chucked out a pokéball. It missed the ground, and hit the pokémon. In that moment, time seemed to freeze. And then the pokéball drew in the Seaking, and shoke vigouriously before it settle.   
"It was empty! We got a Seaking! Woohoo!" James jumped up in the air and landed in the stream, splashing everybody.  
He became very sore.

"Why can't we _keep_ it?"  
"Because we don't want the Boss to think we're mucking around, stupid."  
"Ow! Jessie that hurt."  
"It was supposed to. Now hurry up and send it through." James swore underneath his breath and did what he had been told. They continued to talk to Boss, and were relieved when the image zapped away.  
"Right then. James. Get the bait." A large Magikarp, removed of its hard scales and softened greatly by cooking, appeared in front of her.  
"No Meowth!" The pokémon had been eying the fish, and had earned a whack from Jessie's frying pan.  
"Now hurry up!"

They sat silently beside the water, the dead Magikarp half in and half out. They'd had to chase away local Persians and Meowths, and even Growlithe and Arcanine. Well, they'd caught the Arcarine for the Boss. James wasn't very happy about having to give up another pokémon.   
"Krabby!" Meowth whispered. But no golden claws graced it, and James threw it out into the water again. He'd had enough experience to know not to kick it.   
The sun had now set and they were just about to leave when a creature scuttled forward, the evening sun glinting on its claws that were a strange golden colour. They'd dived for it, but it was to quick. They walked back complaining about ruined faces and stomachs. 

"Well, we know it exists."  
"Doh. Can you believe what happened to my face!"  
"Yes, Jessie. And we know that we're in the right place." The others nodded. They were tired out. It had been three days since they'd seen the Krabby. Three days of running through the bush, diving into the water and sand, three horrific days. That Krabby seemed to be laughing at them, teasing them. They were not in a good mood.  
"Well, I suppose we've got to go try again." They nodded again, knowing the uselessness. They would not catch it. It would escape. As always. 

The trip down to the beach was a dissimal one. They went along saying nothing, kicking stones and basically wishing they'd never heard of the Krabby. Until Jessie kicked a larger rock.  
"Ow!" she screamed, and hurled the rock into the bush, swearing. She kneeled down to the ground. She'd seen a flash of gold. There was a couble of Krabbys, two tiny little Krabbys. One had golden claws.  
"A Krabby nest!" she gasped. She picked up one of the creatures, and it crawled up her arm and onto her shoulder. The other one, the golden clawed one, ran over to James, crawled up his leg and jumped onto Meowth's head. They stood there, stunned, until something appeared from behind a tree. The Krabby with the golden claws. It seemed to laugh, and disappear. But Team Rocket didn't care.  
"This! You give me this, an impossibly small Krabby! I should fire you here and now!"  
"Its claws. Look at them." The Boss did. A slow smile creapt over his face. He looked back to Team Rocket. They smiled. And then threw the communicater over the railing and down into the gorge.  
"So what do we do now? Get blasted off to some unknown island to hide on?" James smiled, and walked to the end of the bridge with Jessie. He turned to her,  
"No." And smiled. 

Half a minute late Meowth came running up. He took one look, and was disgusted. They didn't see Meowth again for the rest of the day.

Team Rocket, pokemon and related are © copyright Nintendo and all those other companies. We are in no way related to them.


End file.
